Will I notice a massive difference? I can feel how draggy my bike is on tarmac, but is the reduced grip when riding that much better than the increased speed gained?

And then in that circumstance, would High Rollers be a better choice and in what size.

All have to be full UST. My local trail will now be Cannock, but will also be Coed-y-Brenin a lot.

Thoughts please as I have been pondering over this for a while!

Thanks

Have never had any success with 2.35 Minions too much tread on an unstable skinny XC carcass front or rear I never got them to work.

Try 60a folding 2.5 Minions they are reasonably light (800g or so) and feel more like a trailable version of the wired/ST/3C Minions

Edit: if you’re riding Cannock forget the Minions Advantage F CrossMark R much better imo

Thanks for the reply, I don’t want to go below 2.35 and the crossmark dont seem to do one in that size.

I don’t need skinny xc tyres, just something slightly faster/lighter than Minions, but without sacrificing too badly on the grip.

What Minions do you have currently? Supertacky or Maxxpro?

Butcher Control 2.3 might be a good option- lighter and faster, and the same size as a maxxis 2.5. Tubeless ready rather than full UST but is that a problem? Less grippy than a supertacky 2.5, grippier than a maxxpro. Clear mud better too. (fair play to Maxxis, all Specialized have done is copy the Minion with a few improvements, it’s even made by the same people)

TBH Cannock and CYB aren’t really what I’d call 2.5 Minion territory though.

Hi Northwind.

Currently running 42a upfront and 60a out rear.

Ok will have a look at the Butcher Control, tubeless ready shouldn’t be a problem I dont think. (I actually didn’t know there was tubeless ready? Whats the difference?)

See I think because I’ve used 2.5 Minions for the last 2 years everywhere I go I just accept them, whereas I know in essence I’m just making it harder for myself.

Tubeless ready isn’t guaranteed airtight, so needs sealant, UST is suppose to be able to run without sealant (though I think everyone uses sealant anyway?)

I’m becoming a sad Specialized tyre fanboi, but they’re good. At CYB I’d want something faster ideally tbh- I’ve got a pair of Butchers on the Hemlock now and they’ll take on absolutely anything (used them for downhill and enduro racing, a week in teh alps, but also for glentress laps etc) but it’s a lot of tyre and really no need a lot of the time. I just don’t like fannying about. Something faster on the rear maybe.

I run a normal 60a High roller on the back and a Eskar on the front. I’ve run a 2.5 supertacky on the back before (with matching front) and it was like riding through treacle.

I’m not sure DH tyres are needed for Cannock, I’d get something much more XC front and rear and let some pressure out as there’s almost nadda to pinch flat on. I’ve done laps on 2.2 Spesh Purgatorys at 25psi tubless and reckon I could go even more low profile/XC than those without loseing grip.

I wasnt aware of that, I do run sealent in mine anyway for punctures.

I have heard good things about the Butcher, and come to think of it I believe I was turned off it because it wasn’t ‘UST’.

Is getting the Butcher however, going to be only marginally better than the minions?

It’ll be a fair bit better but still be in the same ballpark as your Minions- I’m recommending it as similiar-but-better but it still wouldn’t be my choice for that sort of use.

Having said that I wouldn’t dream of using a 2.5 supertacky/maxxpro combo on anything but an uplift bike, but 2 Butchers is doable.

What’s the most demanding of your riding? We’re fixating on the trails you mentioned a bit but maybe there’s more to it.

No I think your fixations are good and it’s a mental thing for me lol. I do ride Blacks, but then that’s ‘uk’ blacks which I’m sure are nothing compared to les arcs etc.

Faster and better rolling are my main goals, so if in your experience the Butcher will uphold these traits and still have good grip (Minions are possibly over grippy), then I’ll have a look for a pair. I suppose I can always sell them to you cheaper if I don’t like them 😉

Also… I see o my search:

Butcher Control

Butcher Control 2Bliss

Which are you referring to?

Some people just like big grippy tyres, nowt wrong with it- I tend towards over-grippy fronts just because too much grip causes tiredness but not-enough grip causes bleeding 😆

But I’m not sure it’s ideal for you. Like, today I rode my 2 Butchers up to the top of innerleithen and the drag was fine because I knew I was coming back down slippery messy off-map trails and downhill trails. But if I was only doing trailcentre stuff the rear would be a bit much. More suitable than what you have but you can probably do better still.

I dunno… Advantage or Ardent 2.25 rear? Eskar is a good rear but discontinued. Getting something quicker on the rear makes a big difference, Minion/Advantage will roll pretty comparably to Butcher/Butcher while replacing only one tyre. And then you can experiment with your maxxpro as a front- it’s not as sticky-grippy but it’s still damn grippy.

All Controls are 2bliss, just not everyone puts it in the description. Spesh are big on tubeless-readyness.

Ate there any good deals on these?

I use a butcher control front and purgatory control rear, great combo for me, purgatory faster rolling but grippy enough and the butchers are great tyres, like northwind said – a better minion. Go up easy tubeless, decent weight, sturdy enough and not mega expensive. Freeborn do 2 for £54 but not sure they mix models in this deal, maybe call them?

eh? 2.5 minions for that sort of riding? What are you scared of?

a 2.35 maxpro up front with something faster at the back should be perfect.

2.35s can be gripier than 2.5s in some situations.

Duirdh plus 1

My exact setup of choice for Cannock as local ride on a hardtail …..wired 2.35 maxpro 60a for summer and a switch to the super tacky version for winter….they come up plenty wide enough run tubeless on flow rims, and are sub £25.00, which is a rare tyre treat these days! A little more hassle to mount initially than a LUST but easy once you get the knack. LUST versions of Advantage out back winter and cross mark for summer. Sorted. Front end just won’t let go, but have had washouts on the 60a highroller equivalents. JMPE.

2.5’s for Cannock trail riding?? Am I missing some super rocky off piste knarrrrr smuggled in from the alps somewhere?

kiwifiz – If you actually read the original post, it states:

“My local trail will now be Cannock”, meaning that it wasn’t before. It was a downhill track with north shore, where 2.5 stickies actually come in quite handy.

As well as Minions 2.5s actually matching up to standar tyres 2.2/3s.

So I hope this answers your ‘gnar at cannock’ question 8)

run 2.35 minion maxpro tubeless on a stan’s arch ex rim and it’s a good all rounder. 2.5 LUST was too big for the rim (run than on a set of flows). Northwind may be write about the spesh tyres, but I’m pretty sold on DHF Minion/Ardent combo.

I am now apologising ……think you had Duridh and I both missing the Cannock tense. As for the tyre info, don’t mention it. Oh you didn’t.

Alex – I’ve just bought the Specialized Butcher Controls from Northwinds recommendation. I’ll keep my minions in case I really dont get on with them.

Kiwifiz – Lol, thanks for your tyre comments 🙂 The only reason I’m going to stay away from Lusts is I still want to be able to do the DH trail every now and again, it just wont be regular. And I hate changing tyres all the time… 😀

Thanks
Tom